Siyam stood before the tranquil lake. The silvery moonlight reflected off the still water so vividly that even the night's darkness seemed to fade. Every blade of grass and the jagged edges of the rocks were as clear as they would be in broad daylight.
Siyam leaned slightly over the strange markings on the ground. Hands on his waist, eyes narrowed, he tried to decipher whether this was a map of a mountain range or a path to an ancient cave. In his mind, he attempted to cross-reference the pattern with every familiar location he knew.
Humaira had been observing Siyam from a distance. Unable to contain her curiosity, she stepped closer. But as she approached, her long shadow fell over the locket. Instantly, like magic, the glowing map began to fade and dissolve into the dust.
Startled, Siyam looked up at Humaira. Realizing her mistake, she quickly scrambled back a few paces, her face clouded with fear and guilt. In a trembling voice, she managed to whisper,
"I'm sorry..."
Her tone betrayed just how terrified she was by her own blunder. Siyam watched her for a moment, struck by her innocence even in such a grave situation. A faint smile played at the corners of his lips. He realized how desperately she was trying to understand him. A single tear glistened in his eye as he chuckled softly. Wiping it away with the back of his hand, he looked back at the ground.
"There's nothing to be sorry about," Siyam said,
His voice is much softer now.
"In fact, this was helpful. Now I know that this locket only reveals its secrets under moonlight. It cannot tolerate sunlight or any artificial shadow."
Humaira flushed crimson in an instant. Despite the cold night air, her ears felt hot. Composing herself, she stepped back to Siyam's side - this time with extreme caution, ensuring her shadow wouldn't interfere again.
Siyam turned his attention back to the intricate lines of the map. The fingers of his right hand were still throbbing with that icy, blue-black burn. He whispered under his breath,
"Sameer... will this map lead me to you? Or is this the beginning of another destruction?"
The map was designed so bizarrely that it was hard to tell what it was hinting at. Siyam asked Humaira to quickly bring some paper and a pen so he could sketch the design for later analysis. Humaira gave Siyam one last look before hurrying off. A strange sense of peace and joy fluttered in her heart today. In Siyam's eyes, she saw that lost spark returning - the old Siyam, the one everyone used to respect and admire.
Siyam knelt. Looking at the map up close, he noticed an ancient mantra written in tiny script in the center. From a distance, it had been completely invisible. He leaned back, supporting his weight with his hands on the ground, and looked up at the massive moon.
"I don't know where you are, Sameer. I don't know if you're alive, or what state you're in. Truthfully, I didn't want to kill you that day. I just wanted to make you understand. I just wanted you to learn to control yourself."
Siyam let out a long sigh and gazed at the crystal-clear lake. A single white lotus bloomed there, shimmering like a diamond under the moonlight. A melancholy yet beautiful smile touched Siyam's lips.
By then, Humaira had returned with the stationery, breathless from her sprint. As she handed them over, Siyam turned to her.
"You didn't have to rush so much."
Humaira sat beside him, panting.
"The sky doesn't look good. If clouds cover the moon, the light will fade, and some details might be lost forever."
Siyam ran a hand over her hair, his face radiating tranquility. The storm that had been raging inside him for the past two days seemed to vanish instantly. Having someone who truly understands you brings a different kind of peace. He wondered - had Sameer done all those things because he lost that very peace? Or was he truly provoked back then?
Casting those thoughts aside, Siyam began to meticulously sketch the map. He double-checked every minor detail, taking no risks, as the map might only appear during a full moon.
Once finished, he moved the locket around to see if anything else would trigger. But nothing new appeared. Surprisingly, the locket no longer felt cold or hot; it felt like an ordinary piece of jewelry. The ghostly whispers had stopped too. Was it all a hallucination? Or did it only happen to show him this secret?
Humaira's hand on his shoulder broke his trance.
"There's no point sitting here anymore," she said.
"Let's go back to the room. You can analyze everything properly there."
Siyam nodded and stood up. Holding the locket in his palm, he stared at it for a moment before walking back with Humaira.
Inside the room, Siyam immediately sat at the table with his sketch and the locket. Humaira sat on the bed, watching him work with intense focus. A search that had lasted nearly 150 years might finally be coming to an end. Leaning back, she asked,
"Why did Sameer start such a massacre in the first place?"
Siyam looked up briefly before returning to the map. Without turning around, he began to speak.
"The day Sameer and I received our Blessings, his behavior began to change. At first, I didn't pay much attention; I thought he was just adjusting to the new power. But I was proven wrong the day I saw the crack in the crystal ball."
Humaira sat upright.
"Which crystal ball? The one used to measure Mana during our exams?"
"Yes, that one," Siyam replied, scribbling the mantra into his diary.
"But what shocked me most was Sameer's smile. Anyway, things seemed normal that day. While everyone was busy introducing themselves to you after class, Sameer and I were standing apart, sharing our feelings. Sameer told me he hated crowded places. He wanted to live far away, somewhere with mountains and a river. He wanted a small home and a small family with the person he loved, away from any outside interference. And I told him that I wanted to use my Blessing to help everyone, so that people would praise me... and so you would notice me."
A soft laugh came from behind him. Siyam stopped writing and turned around to see Humaira laughing, holding her stomach. He was momentarily dazed by how beautiful she looked when she laughed.
"So, you wanted to be a hero just to impress me?" she asked, wiping a tear of laughter.
"I never knew the reason was so simple!"
Siyam smiled faintly.
"It's true I wanted to impress you, but that wasn't the only reason."
Humaira grew serious again as he continued.
"I wanted to be a hero so that children born without Blessings, like we were - wouldn't be looked down upon by society. I wanted to bridge the gap between the high and the low. And yes, I wanted to be remembered. I thought my dream was hard to achieve, but in reality, Sameer's dream was the most difficult of all."
Siyam closed the diary and turned his chair toward her. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, he took a shallow breath.
"Sameer and I used to train together most of the time. But every time, I felt like Sameer was using far more power than me. While I would be gasping for air, he would barely break a sweat. It served as both inspiration and jealousy for me. Over time, I learned that the Angels who grant Blessings usually have four wings. But some people receive Blessings from Angels with eight or ten wings.
When I first got mine, I didn't realize Susang had ten wings. I later found out that Royal Angels rarely grant Blessings - they don't even like humans. I was just incredibly lucky to have freed a Royal Angel and received his power."
Siyam looked up at Humaira.
"When the locket showed us those visions, I saw Fira and Suxang. I didn't know Fira was also a Royal Angel!?"
Humaira closed her eyes and rubbed her arms, as if the cold memory still bit at her skin.
"I knew Fira was a Royal Angel," she whispered.
"When I was born, my parents thought I was dead. I would really have died in that moment if Fira hadn't saved me with her Blessing. My mother said Fira was in a horrific state when she did it. I didn't believe it at first because Fira never mentioned it. I couldn't imagine who could possibly hurt a Royal Angel like that. But that vision changed everything."
She lowered her head, looking genuinely frightened. Siyam quickly sat beside her and pulled her into a protective embrace. He could feel how much the revelation had shaken her. After she calmed down, he kissed her forehead and asked,
"The black-winged Angel standing before Suxang and Fira... do you remember how many wings it had?"
Humaira buried her face in his chest and whispered,
"Only two."
Siyam stared at the table. In the candlelight, the shadow of the locket on the wall looked like a monstrous beast. Humaira looked up.
"Do you think a mere two-winged Angel could do that to Royal Angels?"
Siyam licked his lips nervously.
"There are two possibilities. It was either a 'Negate'... or the King of Angels himself."
Humaira frowned. "But the King of Angels is supposed to have twelve wings! And isn't a Negate's body supposed to be like smoke?"
"The idea that a Negate is made of smoke is just a theory," Siyam countered.
"And if it wasn't the King of Angels, only Royal Devils should have that kind of power. But Devils don't have wings. So, it definitely wasn't a Devil."
Humaira sensed Siyam slipping into another deep spiral of thought, so she nudged him back toward Sameer's story. Siyam composed himself and continued the journey into the past.
"One day, while Sameer and I were training, a guy walked up to us. He was tall, with a powerful, athletic build. You could tell just by looking at his muscles how strong he was. He had thick black hair, light stubble, and wore Knight's armor. He walked straight up to us and asked - 'Who is Siyam?'
I was lying on the ground, exhausted after taking a beating from Samir. The guy thought Sameer was me and stepped toward him,
'You have to win a fight against me,' the guy said.
I was shocked, but Sameer was even more so. He knit his brows, looked at the guy for a second, and pointed directly at me,
'The one you're looking for is lying down there. I'm not Siyam,' Sameer said.
After that he trying to walk past him. But the guy, put a hand on Sameer's shoulder.
'Then whoever you are, fight me instead.'
Sameer brushed his hand off, saying he wasn't in the mood for jokes. As Sameer walked away, the guy offered me a hand. I took it and stood up. He watched Sameer leave and asked me,
'Is he always that hot-tempered?'
I looked him up and down and said,
'Isn't it common courtesy for a Knight to introduce himself before speaking?'
He looked a bit embarrassed. He stepped back, placed his right hand over his chest, and gave a slight bow.
'I am Nuhash, a Hero. Though I'm currently serving as a Knight, my job is to maintain the balance between us and the Demons.'
I reached out my hand.
'I'm Siyam. Nice to meet you. My dream is to become a Hero like you.'
Nuhash smirked - it was a mix of mockery and ego. He didn't even try to hide his feelings. I didn't mind much, but as soon as he shook my hand, I realized he was testing my strength.
I took the chance and increased my pressure. I was using 50% of my strength during training with Sameer, but now I pushed it to 80%. To my surprise, Nuhash's smirk didn't even waver. He looked at the veins bulging in my hand, locked eyes with me, and leaned in close,
'You're still a rookie,' he whispered.
'My 10% is easily overpowering your 80%.'
I was stunned. Nuhash was using only 10%!! and even at nearly full power, I couldn't match him. I wondered - does it really take this much power to be a Hero? Nuhash let go of my hand and patted my shoulder,
'Don't be discouraged,' he said.
'Receiving a Blessing doesn't mean you can use all its power automatically. A Blessing only gives you the power source; how you use it is entirely up to you.'"
Siyam noticed Humaira's eyes drooping. He gently laid her down on the pillow and kissed her forehead softly. Suddenly, he felt a heaviness in the air, as if something was suffocating him. He walked out of the room and stood on the balcony, gripping the railing tightly. His gaze pierced forward, his eyes sharp and alert, searching for something hidden in the shadows.
Meanwhile, a guard was descending through a tunnel, carrying two stale pieces of bread and a little water. His entire body trembled at the thick, oppressive darkness of the passage. A foul, fishy stench emanated from within, accompanied by a heavy aura that made his limbs feel numb.
Deep below, he reached a long corridor where at least fifty guards stood in a silent line. Water dripped rhythmically from the stones above. Who knew how many centuries this cave had existed, nearly a hundred meters beneath the earth?
The guard arrived at a specific cell. The door was slowly unlatched. The interior was shrouded in absolute darkness, while the journey down had been lit by flickering torches, there was no light here. Just before he entered, another guard warned him,
"Just leave the food inside and come out. Hear nothing, see nothing. Just leave the plate and walk away quietly."
The guard nodded, holding the tray. But his hands were shaking so violently that the plate nearly slipped. He had never felt such a crushing aura before. He took a hesitant step inside.
A few steps in, he placed the tray on the floor and gave it a slight nudge. The sound of heavy chains rattling echoed through the room. It sounded like a beast was being kept in captivity. Just as he turned to flee, a fractured voice rasped from the darkness,
"What day is it today?"
The guard froze. He knew he wasn't supposed to look or listen. But could that beast speak? No one had told him that. More importantly, why couldn't he move? Could an aura truly be so powerful that even a Fire User blessed by a six-winged Angel struggled to budge? He began to sweat profusely. Then, the voice came again,
"Why are you afraid? Are you new here?"
A horrific, booming laughter filled the room. The guard didn't wait another second, using every ounce of his strength, he scrambled out of the cell. He ran until he collapsed on the floor outside. Blood began to leak from his mouth like vomit. The other guards at the door began to laugh at his state. He couldn't understand why they were laughing at his suffering - or who exactly was imprisoned inside. Then, someone extended a hand toward him.
"Don't mind them. It happens to everyone new. I am Anirban, the Head Jailer here."
The guard on the floor took the hand and stood up, his body still feeling partially paralyzed. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he asked,
"I am Nihal. But... who is inside? He asked me what day it is."
Anirban patted Nihal on the shoulder, leading him away.
"He asks that of everyone who brings him food. Your job is just to feed him once a day. You don't need to say or hear anything."
As Nihal followed Anirban, he stole one last glance back. Despite the darkness, he could still feel that beast's laughter and the twisted lines of its face etched into his mind. It didn't take him long to realize that whatever was inside that cell... must never be set free.